Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Pros and cons of drafting LaMelo Ball

Cons

LaMelo Ball was relentlessly criticized in high school for his unorthodox jump shot and reputation as a ball hog. How do these criticisms stand up today?

Well, for starters, Ball is far from being a selfish player. As previously stated, he is constantly looking to set up his teammates and is a willing passer. However, it is his tendency to go for highlight plays that can often get him in trouble.

If there is a chance to add some extra flash to a pass, Ball will take it. This means that there are many scenarios in which a simple pass would have led to a bucket but instead resulted in a turnover. As a result, Ball averaged close to three turnovers a game.

As for his jump shot, this is still a big concern. Ball connected on just 25 percent of his 3-point attempts last year. This hasn’t stopped him from continuing to jack up shots, averaging 6.7 attempts from deep.

There is no doubt that he can be efficient from the 3-point line when he is on fire. However, he needs to become better at picking and choosing his looks from beyond the arch.

Ball also needs to add some muscle. He has a very thin frame and will be abused by bigger and stronger guards on the defensive end. This is already an area of concern for Ball who has not shown to be an engaged defender thus far in his young career.